The Boys of Restaurant Fire

Do you remember the first baseball glove that you ever successfully ”broke-in?” Or perhaps a nice new pair of tennis shoe that over time conformed to your feet in such a way that it was as if you had no shoes on at all? These comforting memories are similar to what a chef has in a great cast iron skillet. They sell them these days ”pre-seasoned”, but I recommend pan frying some chicken or catfish a couple of time to ensure proper seasoning. People are always looking for easy-to-clean pots and pans, and cast iron is just that. When finished bronzing fish or caramelizing veggies, simply wipe it out, rub a little oil on it, and set it in the cabinet or on the stove top. When you see cast iron in someone’s kitchen, you know there is some real cooking going on.

At the restaurant, we have used it in preparation of everything from Caribbean “Blackened” Gulf fish to seared skin-on chicken breast (a healthy alternative to frying with just as crisp a skin), and there is no better way to sear a steak as well. We have even been known to smash a sandwich between two cast iron skillets to create a Panini. If there were one kitchen tool needed to use as a multitasker and the definitive skillet in your kitchen, I would have to say it is a 12-inch cast iron skillet.

On the dinner menu now, we do a “Cast Iron Seared Ashley Farms Airline Chicken Breast with a House Smoked Tasso, Gulf Shrimp, and Three Potato Hash with Creole Mustard Braised Kale and a Brown Butter Vinaigrette.” First, I start with a bone-in, skin-on, all natural, free-range 8oz. Chicken Breast. I season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, and place the skillet over high heat. It is important to let the chicken sit out at room temperature for a bit to take the chill off it, so it does not drastically lower the heat of the cast iron skillet when the chicken hits the pan. Rub a little clarified butter over the skin, and place in the hot pan. Ready for the best tip a chef can offer any cook? . . . DON’T MESS WITH IT! Do not move the chicken around, or flip it prematurely, as you want the skin to get crisp and the more continuous contact the skin has with the pan, the better the finished product. Let it sear for about five minutes, then flip it and sear another five minutes. If it is not done, finish it in a 425 oven. Remove, and let rest about five minutes before slicing. Enjoy with you favorite sides and sauce, or with just a knife and fork!

For those who have stepped outside here in the Florida panhandle over this glorious Easter weekend know, Spring is here. As far as ingredients go, there is no better time of year to have cooking as your profession. People are in town, vegetables are bright and lively, and fish and shellfish are starting to come back in full force in the 30-a area. Artichokes, peas, mushrooms, avocados, early tomatoes, arugula, asparagus, strawberries are all coming in lively and fresh. Crabmeat, Cobia, Pompano, Tuna, Grouper and Snappers of all sorts are in abundance as well. There is a feeling of action in the air. Visitors are here, farmers are pulling veggies after a long winter and fishermen are reeling in boatloads of goodies more and more every day.

There is something special about cleaning a Cobia, a great example of a Spring/Summer Gulf Coast fish. Love it or hate it, Cobia, (sometimes called Ling or Lemonfish) is a true taste of Spring for me. Cobia is a fish that has no specific season for fishing, but rather is migratory. It makes its way onto fishing boat long lines in early spring, when the weather warms up. The fish is known for its oily, somewhat steaky texture, and its natural robust lemon like flavor. It can really stand up to a lot of big flavors, and has the great nutrition like that of a Salmon or Tuna. It is a chef’s fish, in that it will not be overpowered by full flavored accompaniments or bold cooking techniques, such as olive oil poaching or cast iron searing. Any fish that can hold up to a hard sear in beautifully seasoned cast iron, I am all for.

The part of this fish I enjoy most comes after I clean, bone, and portion the fillets. It has a buttery belly that contains some large bones, making it unusable for a full fillet, but having the best flavor. I will keep these to marinate for the fish tacos at lunch, giving them a quick dust in corn flour, and flash frying them, perching them upon a charred flour tortilla, topping the crispy nuggets with a 10 vegetable-crystal hot sauce and buttermilk slaw, and piling on some salsa fresca topped with a juicy squeeze of lime. Mexico meets the Gulf South, Baby! That’s what we are all about.

If I have some of the belly pieces left over, I will make a ceviche of Cobia, meyer lemon, and habanero. U can put that on anything from a spoon to a house made fried pickle if u are feeling crazy. Boy o Boy I Love the Spring! Stop on by the restaurant to get your taste of some Cobia and some other Spring delights from our new Spring menu.

Carl, Chris and Mario wanted to express more than what the usual restaurant website offers.  They wanted to express their thoughts of food flavors and textures paired with complementary wines and beers.  So in response to this pent up energy, Restaurant Fire now has a Blog.  The boys will contribute whenever the literary bug hits and I thought I would kick off this endeavor by entering the inaugural post.

When Carl updated the menu for Fire about a month ago and needed new pictures for the website,  I jumped on a plane and took a flight down one cold Friday.  My mind was salivating at the thought of  the new concoctions from the boys in the back.  Throughout the weekend I took dinner and brunch pictures, which you can see on the Fire’s menus.  The meals I tasted were delicious but as usual, Fire offers specials that go beyond your expectations . . . you always hear chefs talk about layers of flavor but only a select group can execute with elegance.  Carl has a great ability to bring flavors together that rise to prominence long after the plate is clean.

The day I was there Fire offered a special that I have to share.  The dish consisted of a savory tomato sauce with subtle lobster undertones.  The sweet lobster meat was prepared in very generous portions but in just the right complementary amount.  The sauce surrounded a mound of creamy risotto crowned with a surprising jewel.   Chris (Sous Chef) had taken a poached egg and every so gently coated the egg with Panko breadcrumbs and slid it into hot oil.  A deep fried poached egg?!!  As I cut into the egg, the velvet yellow yolk melded with the risotto and lobster sauce.  Each ingredient’s identity whether texture or flavor could be distinguished while at the same time they formed a singular note of gastronomical music.  It was a memorable feeling.  I sat there long after the empty plate was cleared away dissecting what I had just eaten while at the same time blissfully feeling . . . happy

I can’t wait for the next menu change!